Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1887-09-09

| the ursJ story WINDOWS.
The children clustered around her,
clinging to her dress, and crying. sc
teacher!n they sobbed, "what is itG What
shall We dot How are we going to gel
homer
Poor little Bessie Morton screamed fol
her mother.
Sarah was puzzled for a moment, then
she knew, The dam two miles up the
brook had given way. A dreadful mis-
giving seized upon her when she under.
stood that, but she never changed a mus.
Gle of her resolute, smiling face.
''Hush," said she, what are you do.
ing so for2 Go back to your seats. ]
shall keep the first one who speaks in al
recess The utter absurdity of that last
remark struck Sarah as she spoke. She
felt nervous desire to laugh, but she
looked steadily at the children with that
strong, serene young face of hers, and
they obeyed.
They stared at her minute, then they
stopped crying and went quietly back to
their seats. If the teacher was not fright
ened, there was no danger, they argued.
Sarah remained by the window, look
ing out composedly. "The brook has
overlooked a little" she remarked, in an
even voice. st often happens on
meadow land"
Even as she spoke, she saw that the
water was rising; she had been fixing
her attention upon little messy knot in
a great button wood tree, which grew a
few feet from the window. The water
was certainly coming nearer to it.
This schoolhouse had not been built
for one originally. 1t was merely a
small, two-story dwelling house, which
had been moved here, and devoted to
educational purposes, although it was
painted red and had much of the con-
ventional schoolhouse look.
The school was held in the second
story; the first was used for st2ring fuel,
so doing away with the necessity for a
woodshed.
Sarah turned to the children. Gre
main in your seats, and keep quiet until
return" she said, authoritatively.
Then she stepped out into the entry and
looked down stairs. She could not see
the lower floor. Out here listening,
without all those terrified faces looking
into hers for sign of weakness, she be-
came convinced of something which she
had suspected-the building trembled,
as if it were stirring softly on its founda-
ton. This was not strongly built
house, nor was it strongly set on the
meadow That Sarah knew. If the
water rose little more-if the force of
the current grew little stronger-what
then9 That Sarah Mayhem knew.
She looked out of the entry window
toward the submerged street. If any
body would come. If she could see a
boat gliding to the rescue between those
dripping trees. Somebody must come,
somebody must think of the terrible
danger to which she and those helpless
children were exposed. But the convic.
ton gained upon her that the danger
might be lapsed in certainty, and the
worst over before those rescuers APP
peared. Whatever human help was to
come at all must come quickly, and come
from her.
80 Lord, " whispered Sarah Mayhem,
"help me to save them"
Standing there in that little, dark
steaming entry, the horrible rush of the
water in her ears, she gathered every
energy which was in her for effort. She
saw a long rope, which the children had
used for their games in corner, she
picked it up and carried it into the school
room with her.
The poor children turned their pale
inquiring faces toward her. "Get Out
your spelling books" said she, calmly
''and study your lessons"
The little things stared at her and
obeyed. She went to the window anC
looked at the button-wood tree. If any
tree would stand the pressure of the flood
that would. 1t did not seem as if thai
grand trunk could be stirred. Just op
posite this window was broad branch
stretching parallel to it, only few fee
away.
Sarah stood gazing at it minute
Then she decided-the furniture of Thu
school-room was rough and rustic; rude
wooden desks, with slabs fastened to then
for seats. Along two sides of the room
ran long wooden benches; planks, mere
ly, with supports.
Sarah dragged one of them up to tn,
window, then she called the little boys
"Come here minute, boys" sand she
They sprang. They had been watching
her curiously.
"Now," said she, coolly, "we'll al
take hold of this together and lift tn
end up to the window"
"Now, we want to push it across on t,
that tree branch"
Sarah had some wiry muscle in he
small arms, and the nine-year,old DO,
was stout for his age. They pushed tn
bench acress. The support atrthe enc
caught on the branch and held firmly.
The children looked up at Sarah will
bewildered faces.
care we going out there?" asked tn
oldest boy. The others began to,whimper
"Stop talking and wait until tel
you," said the teacher "Now | wan
you to all go out in the entry and put OF
your things, and get your dinner pals.
Sarah felt the house trembIe very per
ceptibly as they went. One of then
looked back. "The house shakes, teach
er, he said. with a sob.
"Be quick, " said she, cit won't do an
harm"
She tied on the little girl-baby's hood
} and buttoned up her coat carefully, ant
put on her own poor waterproof cloaI
again The children all huddled arount
} her at the window, their dinner pals i
, their hands.
: Sarah took up the children's "Copen
: hagen rope, and slung it in coil owe
her arm. Then she got on chair, an
: stepped from that to the bench bridge
r 1t trod firm. She walked along u ste
Z and stood just outside the window
'Now, Willie" she called to the oldes
, boy, "come right up here, behind me-
= IIn woo q nluckv IittIa faIlovu li+b